Fans can watch the Kenya vs. Mauritius football match live online and see which team can move one step closer to qualfying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The teams will meet on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. local time from Nyayo National Stadium in Anjalay Bellevue.
Those who watch the Kenya vs. Mauritius football match live online will see if the Kenyan squad can rebound from its recent loss. The team dropped its most recent Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match, losing to Zambia by a 2-1 score.
Kenya actually held a 1-0 lead in the match, but gave up the tying goal in the 28th minute and then the go-ahead goal 14 minutes later. With the win, Zambia reached four points and now sit atop Group E along with Congo Brazzaville.
While the loss was difficult for Kenya, it gave the Zambian team hopes that they could replicate the success of their 2012 run to the Africa Cup of Nations title.
“Like I told you last time, you are a capable lot that can write its own positive history. I want to congratulate you and also thank our God for this victory,” Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) president Kalusha Bwalya said in a statement (via The Statesman ).
A key to Kenya rebounding in the World Cup qualifying could be the play of defender David Ochieng, who will be tasked with shoring up the defense that fell apart against Zambia. Ochieng will be fighting for a starting spot in Wednesday’s match.
This year’s format for World Cup qualifying could add to the difficulty. The qualifying format is split into three rounds, including a preliminary round where the lowest 26 teams will face off, with the 13 winners taking on the 27 top ranked teams.
In the third round, the 20 winners will be split into five groups, with the five winners earning a spot in the 2018 World Cup. That could mean Kenya, if they should advance that far, may end up against any of the continent’s top ranked teams.
But fans who watch the Kenya vs. Mauritius football match live online will see a Harambee Stars team in full force. The team recalled its foreign-based players for this week’s match, and coach Bobby Williamson said he believes his team is ready.
“We only trained for two days but I strongly believe that we will get a good result,” Williamson said. “We need a good result from the away game so that we can have the advantage of moving to the next round when we play again on Sunday.”
But there could be some behind-the-scenes drama for Kenya as well. Goal suggested that the tension between star players Dennis Oliech and Mcdonald Mariga has not dissipated, though they have tried to keep the feud from affecting the team.
The report noted the following.
“Those, who claim to be in the know, suggest the issues between Oliech and Mariga, though not quite in the public domain, have now spilled over to its second decade. Reportedly, the two Kamukunji High School alumni can barely stand each other. Several theories have been brought forward to advance these claims, ranging from rivalry for media space, which of the pair has ‘deeper’ pockets, and so forth.”
The second leg between the teams will take place on Sunday at Kasarani, with the winner taking on Cape Verde in the second round, which starts November 9.
Fans who want to watch the Nigeria vs. Mauritius football match live online can click here for streaming video links. Full information, including live scores and stats, can also be found at FIFA.com . There will also be game day coverage available through ESPNFC, including rosters for both teams.
[Image via Gallo Images/Getty Images, FIFA.com, Goal.com ]